Deputy Commissioner Fouzia Taranum has issued a directive for the permanent relocation of stray dogs from school, college, hospital, and anganwadi premises in Kalaburagi district. The instruction follows multiple complaints from educational institutions and healthcare centres about increasing dog attacks, safety risks to children, and disturbances caused by packs entering campuses. The order aims to protect vulnerable groups such as students, patients, pregnant women, and newborns, who face safety and health hazards due to uncontrolled stray presence. The new directive has brought relief to worried parents, teachers, and hospital authorities who have been struggling with the menace for years.
According to district officials, the relocation move will be implemented in collaboration with local urban bodies and animal welfare organisations. The Deputy Commissioner emphasised that the initiative is not merely a reaction to isolated incidents but a preventive safety measure. Parents in the district have expressed repeated concerns, especially after reports of dog bites and aggressive behaviour near school gates. Hospital administrators have similarly flagged issues of stray dogs entering emergency wards, maternity units, and OPD areas, causing fear among patients. The directive mandates strict monitoring of these premises to ensure that dogs do not return after relocation.
The decision also takes into account the hygiene concerns surrounding unattended dogs around sensitive public institutions. Stray animals often search for food near hospitals, where biomedical waste, leftovers, and open garbage attract them. This increases the risk of infections spreading in medical facilities, particularly for immunocompromised patients. School premises also report issues of dog litter, territorial fights, and continuous barking during class hours, leading to disruption in learning environments. Parents claim they worry daily about children walking to school in areas where packs of dogs chase passing vehicles or pedestrians.
Animal welfare norms will be followed during relocation, ensuring that no cruelty is inflicted during transportation or sheltering. The Deputy Commissioner clarified that the intent of the move is protection of humans, not harming animals. Stray dogs will be shifted to authorised animal care centres and shelters that meet welfare guidelines. Authorities are instructed to maintain sterilisation drives alongside relocation to control the dog population in the long term. The district administration believes that humane and systematic relocation will reduce conflict, prevent attacks, and create safer public spaces without violating animal rights.
Growing Threat Leads to Strict Policy Enforcement
Over the past year, Kalaburagi has witnessed increasing complaints of dog bites, schoolchildren being chased, and dogs occupying hospital corridors. The situation has become critical, according to several educational institutions, particularly when small children are involved. Parents narrate horrifying experiences of toddlers being knocked down or students running in panic after dogs began following them. Some schools have even restricted outdoor activities or sports to protect children from stray packs. Alarmed by the rising cases, the district administration decided that temporary removal and sterilisation alone were not sufficient to address the threat.
Hospital staff also reported incidents that revealed an urgent need for a stricter system. In some government and private hospitals, stray dogs were frequently seen roaming near waiting halls and maternity blocks. Visitors often hesitated to move freely, especially during night hours when strays gathered in groups around hospital compounds. Health experts warned that such environments pose dual threats — physical attacks and risk of contamination due to animal movement in sterile zones. Administrators emphasised that controlling dog presence in hospitals is as important as keeping insects or rodents away, as patient safety must come first.
Parents and school authorities have welcomed the new measure, stating that searching for a long-term solution was much needed. Several schools have attempted temporary fixes, such as installing gates, fencing boundaries, or using security personnel to chase away dogs. However, these efforts have failed against persistent stray groups that return daily in search of food and shelter. Teachers have described how aggressive or territorial dogs bark at students, interrupt classes, and frighten children. Some students even avoid school toilets or playgrounds due to dog presence, highlighting the growing fear that affects learning and overall school culture.
Animal activists also expressed cautious support, stating that relocation must be carried out responsibly and not through mass culling or illegal disposal. They emphasised that dogs should be relocated to shelters that meet animal care standards, where adequate food, health check-ups, and sterilisation will be provided. They acknowledged that protecting children and patients is legitimate, but stressed that relocation must not become an excuse for cruelty. The Deputy Commissioner’s insistence on humane implementation has helped balance public safety demands with ethical treatment. Officials have promised transparent monitoring and documentation of the relocation process.
Implementation Plan and Long-Term Animal Welfare Strategy
The relocation initiative will prioritise areas frequented by children and medically vulnerable populations. Teams from the municipal corporation and panchayat bodies will work with registered animal shelters to ensure safe transportation of dogs. Veterinary teams will examine each captured dog to check for diseases and vaccination status. Sterilisation will be continued simultaneously for population control, as relocation without sterilisation could lead to a new rise in dog numbers. The administration aims to build a long-term strategy wherein relocated dogs do not return, and reproduction levels are regulated humanely.
To strengthen preventive measures, the administration plans to educate the public against feeding dogs on school or hospital premises. Feeding strays attracts other packs and increases territorial aggression among dogs, according to veterinary experts. Awareness campaigns will be organised in schools, colleges, and hospital communities to discourage behaviors that unknowingly worsen the stray menace. The Deputy Commissioner has also directed waste management teams to ensure strict garbage handling near public institutions. Food waste left unattended is one of the major contributors to stray population clusters near educational and medical facilities.
The directive may also influence future urban planning within Kalaburagi, prompting authorities to include dedicated stray management systems within public spaces. Construction of government-funded animal care centres, wider sterilisation capacity, and stricter coordination between local bodies are being discussed as possible measures. Urban planners believe that stray dog population management should be seen as part of public safety planning rather than treated as a one-time crisis response. If the relocation initiative proves successful, similar policies may be introduced in other districts facing problems with stray threats in sensitive areas.
Many government hospitals and schools in Kalaburagi have already begun cooperating with the directive, reporting better security and reduced fear among visitors and students. Teachers say children feel more at ease playing outdoors when dogs are not present nearby. Hospital workers also state that emergency wards and entrances appear safer, allowing patients to move without hesitation. The administration hopes that over time, the relocation will create cleaner, quieter, and safer environments. The effort has become a coordinated project that serves both public welfare and animal well-being, marking a major shift in local governance practices.
Four Additional Paragraphs
Citizens in Kalaburagi have responded positively, though some express concerns regarding funding and long-term maintenance of relocated dogs. Animal shelters require regular support to manage food, medical care, space, and trained staff. Activists argue that relocation alone will fail if shelters are underfunded or overcrowded. The administration, however, has promised that funds will be allocated based on the growing need for stray management, and NGOs will be invited to collaborate. Officials support a public–private partnership model in which government oversight and NGO expertise create sustainable, ethical solutions.
Experts also urge authorities to look beyond relocation and sterilisation, addressing root causes such as abandoned pets and unethical breeding. Many stray dogs originate from households that abandon pups or adult animals due to lack of responsibility or rising costs. Pet owners rarely vaccinate or sterilise their dogs, indirectly adding to the stray population. Veterinarians and activists believe that strict penalties for abandonment and regulations on breeding centres must be reinforced. Awareness programmes promoting responsible pet ownership will be crucial in ensuring that the stray population does not keep regenerating through human negligence.
Urban sociologists point out that stray animals play a complex role in city ecosystems, sometimes controlling rodents and providing emotional comfort to communities. However, when safety risks increase beyond a manageable level, intervention becomes necessary. They state that the Kalaburagi model shows an attempt to balance the coexistence of animals and humans through structured policies, rather than neglect or harsh elimination. Treating relocation as part of public safety, environmental hygiene, and ethical urban management reflects evolving attitudes towards street animals. The district is becoming a case study in mixing compassion with precaution.
Residents now await visible results over the coming months to judge the success of the relocation drive. Schools and hospitals are expected to submit progress reports to the district administration, documenting changes in safety, cleanliness, and public feedback. A monitoring committee may be formed to track complaints, assess recurring issues, and ensure relocated dogs do not return. If proven effective, the directive could inspire other districts to replicate similar relocation frameworks. For Kalaburagi, this policy marks a turning point in redefining how public spaces must prioritise human safety while maintaining humane treatment of animals.
Follow: Karnataka Government
Also read: Home | Channel 6 Network – Latest News, Breaking Updates: Politics, Business, Tech & More
